What’s goin’ on here?

Stallion                                Mare

Non-receptive Sexual Behavior

Depicted here is a cautiously approaching stallion being rejected by the mare.  Her behavior would be called non-receptive. In other words the mare is rejecting the approach of the stallion.  Mares naturally go through stages of what is called ambivalent sexual behavior.  Over the course of an estrus period, a mare also typically go through stages of  intermittently soliciting (called proceptive behavior) and rejecting the stallion.  Over the course of an estrus period, mares also typically go through stages of allowing the stallion to linger nearby and to quietly tease, but reject close advances, as depicted below.

By contrast when a mare is truly ready for breeding (receptive) she appears to signal the stallion by standing solidly, with her hind legs in the “sawhorse stance,” with her neck turned back, and often one foreleg flexed, which appears to convey a message of “going nowhere, not about to kick.”